Tablet feeder

ABSTRACT

Tablets are delivered from a tablet storage case ( 3 ) mounted on a case support table ( 4 ), and when the tablets are passed through a delivery passage ( 9 ), formed in the case support table ( 3 ), quantity of the passed tablets is counted by a counting means ( 10 ). A start state of mounting of the tablet storage case ( 4 ) on the case support table ( 3 ) is detected by case detection means ( 8, 19 ), and the counting sensor ( 10 ) is kept in off state until the start state of mounting of the photon-electron conversion region is detected by the case detection ( 8, 19 ) and is set to On state after the detection. This ensures prevention of erroneous operation due to the mounting and dismounting of the tablet storage case ( 4 ) on and from the case support table ( 3 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a tablet feeder.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, there is a tablet feeder composed of a case supporttable on which a motor is placed, and a tablet storage case which can bemounted on or dismounted from the case support table. In this kind ofthe table feeder, when the motor is driven, a rotor disposed inside thetablet storage case is rotated via a plurality of gears so that tabletscontained in its pocket can be discharged through a delivery passage.

In this tablet feeder, the tablets discharged from the tablet storagecase are counted by a counting sensor provided on the delivery passage.There are a type of the counting sensor which maintains on stateregardless of the mounting of the tablet storage case on the casesupport table, and a type of the counting sensor which is switched to onstate only when the tablet storage case is mounted.

However, the counting sensor which constantly maintains on state maysuffer erroneous operation due to external perturbations such as lightfrom a fluorescent lamp while the tablet storage case is detached fromthe case support table. Also, the counting sensor which is switched toon state only when the tablet storage case is mounted on the casesupport table may suffer errors in the delivery quantity if tablets areaccidentally dropped off before the mounting on the tablet storage caseis completed and so these tablets are not detectable.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea tablet feeder capable of surely preventing erroneous operation fromoccurring due to the mounting and dismounting of the tablet storage caseon and from the case support table.

In the present invention, as a means to solve the above problem, thereis provided a tablet feeder in which tablets are delivered from a tabletstorage case mounted on a case support table, and when the tablets arepassed through a delivery passage formed in the case support table,quantity of the passed tablets is counted by a counting means,comprising:

case detection means for outputting a detection signal from start ofmounting of the tablet storage case on the case support table, so thatthe counting means is kept in off state until a start state of mountingof the tablet storage case is detected by the case detection means andis set to on state after detection.

With this constitution, in the state of the tablet storage case beingdemounted from the case support table, the counting means can be kept inoff state, which makes it possible to restrain unnecessary powerconsumption and also ensures prevention of the erroneous operation bythe counting means due to external perturbations. Further, when thetablet storage case is mounted on the case support table, the countingmeans is set to on state immediately after the start of mounting.Therefore, even if tablets are accidentally dropped off from the tabletstorage case, it becomes possible to reliably count the tablets by thecounting means when the tablets are passed through the delivery passage,thereby preventing errors in the delivery quantity from occurring.

The tablet storage case may be provided with an information displaysection for displaying information about tablets to be stored, and thecase support table may be provided with identification means fordetecting the information display section, so that the identificationmeans is kept in off state until a start state of mounting of the tabletstorage case is detected by the case detection means and is set to onstate after detection.

With this constitution, a placement position of the identification meanscan be determined with disregard to potential adverse influences ofexternal perturbations.

The counting means should preferably be set to on state based on thedetection signal from the case detection means after passing of noiseinfluence time, which allows further prevention of detection errors bythe counting means. Further, the case detection means may be capable ofseparately detecting a state from a start of mounting of the tabletstorage case on the case support table to a middle of the mounting and astate from the middle of the mounting to an end of the mounting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a tablet feeder accordingto the present embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a case support table shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing a tablet storage case shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the tablet storage case shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a tablet feeding apparatus on whichthe tablet feeder shown in FIG. 1 is installed;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another tablet feeding apparatus onwhich the tablet feeder shown in FIG. 1 is installed; and

FIG. 7 is a time chart showing on/off states of a case detection means,a counting means and an identification means.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a tablet feeder 1 according to the present embodiment. Thetablet feeder 1 is mounted on both sides or one side of a plurality ofdrawer articles 100 which can be pulled out and are installed on adrawer case-type tablet feeding apparatus 2A shown in FIG. 5, or mountedon the outer side of inner and outer double drums 101, 102 which arerotatably supported on upper and lower end sections and installed on adrum-type tablet feeding apparatus 2B shown in FIG. 6.

The tablet feeder 1 is composed of case support tables 3, which areplaced on the drawer articles 100 of the tablet feeding apparatus 2A ora drum 102 of the tablet feeding apparatus 2B, and tablet storage cases4 which can be mounted on or dismounted from the case support tables 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the case support table 3 has guide sections 6 a, 6 bdisposed side by side at a specified interval on an upper surface. Onthe respective side surfaces of the guide sections 6 a, 6 b, a lockingsection 6 c is provided in a protruding state. On the surface of oneguide section 6 a, an identification sensor 7 is provided. Herein, theidentification sensor 7 uses a transmission sensor made up of pluralpairs of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Theidentification sensor 7, as described later, is used to detect a barcode 18 put on the tablet storage case 4 and automatically identifytablets housed in the tablet storage cases 4. It is to be noted thatmagnetic sensors such as hall ICs are also adaptable. Moreover, on theside surface of the other guide section 6 b, there is formed asemiconductor pattern 8, which makes it possible to detect mounting anddismounting states of the tablet storage case 4 on and from the casesupport table 3. Moreover, a delivery passage 9 is formed in the casesupport table 3. A counting sensor 10 is provided on the deliverypassage 9, which allows counting of the passing tablets. The countingsensor 10 herein uses a transmission sensor made up of a light emittingelement and a light receiving element. Further, a motor 11 which isdrive-controlled in response to a control signal from an unshown controlunit is housed inside the case support table 3. A rotating shaft of themotor 11 protrudes from the top surface of the case support table 3, anda protruded portion is integrated with a drive gear 12. It is to benoted that the passage of electric current through the identificationsensor 7 and the counting sensor 10 are controlled so that theidentification sensor 7 and the counting sensor 10 are set to on stateimmediately after the start of mounting of the tablet storage case 4 onthe case support table 3 or after passing of certain time as describedlater.

The tablet storage case 4 is almost in a box shape, and its top surfacecan be opened and closed with a cover article 13. The upper surface ofthe bottom wall of the tablet storage case 4 is formed almost into aconical shape, in which a rotor 14 is disposed.

A plurality of groove-shaped pocket sections 15 extending in verticaldirection are formed equiangularly on the external surface of the rotor14. The pocket section 15 has a width and a depth that allows retentionof only one tablet that is stored. A rotating shaft of the rotor 14protrudes from the lower surface of the bottom wall of the tabletstorage case 4, and is integrated with a driven gear 16.

Moreover, on the bottom surface of the tablet storage case 4, there areformed guide reception sections 17 which are guided by the guidesections 6 of the case support table 3. On the guide reception sections17, there is respectively formed an elastic locking reception section 17a which is locked with and unlocked from the locking section 6 c formedon each of the guide sections 6 a, 6 b. A bar code 18 (equivalent to theinformation display section of this embodiment) detected by theidentification sensor 7 is provided on one inner side surface of theguide reception section 17. The bar code 18 corresponds to the kind of atablet stored in the tablet storage case 4, and information about thetablet such as the kind of the tablet is displayed on an unshown displaysection based on a detection result of the bar code 18 by theidentification sensor 7.

Further, on the other inner side surface of the guide reception section17, a metal plate 19 is electrically connected to the conductive pattern8. The metal plate 19 and the conductive pattern 8 constitute the casedetection means of the present invention.?

The counting sensor 10 may be set to on state immediately upon contactof the metal plate 19 with the conductive pattern 8, or may be set to onstate after passing of estimated time necessary for noise influence dueto external perturbations such as light from a fluorescent lamp todisappear at the time of starting mounting of the tablet storage case 4on the case support table 3. In the latter case, however, if tabletsshould be dropped off from the tablet storage cases 4 during a periodfrom the start to the end of the mounting of the tablet storage cases 4on the case support tables 3, it is necessary that the dropped tabletscan be detected by the counting sensor 10.

Description is now given of the operation of the above-structured tabletfeeder 1.

When the tablet storage case 4 is dismounted from the case support table3, the metal plate 19 becomes out of contact with the conductive pattern8, so that the identification sensor 7 and the counting sensor 10 keepon state. This ensures prevention of erroneous detection by theidentification sensor 7 or the counting sensor 10 due to externalperturbations such as light from a fluorescent lamp.

When the tablet storage case 4 is mounted on the case support table 3,as shown in FIG. 7, the conductive pattern 8 comes into contact with themetal plate 19 immediately after the start of mounting, and both theidentification sensor 7 and the counting sensor 10 are set to on state.However, as described before, they may be set to on state after passingof a time during which noise is generated due to influence of externalperturbations immediately after the start of mounting of the tabletstorage case 4 on the case support table 3. This makes it possible tosurely detect the tablets passing through the delivery passage by thecounting sensor 10 even when the tablet storage case 4 is mounted on thecase support table 3.

Although in the aforementioned embodiment, the case detection means iscomposed of a combination of the conductive pattern 8 and the metalplate 19 which is simply for obtaining electrical conduction, variousmeans such magnetic sensors including hall elements and MR elements aswell as limit switches are also applicable.

Further, in the aforementioned embodiment, the conductive pattern 8 andthe metal plate 19 are set to constantly keep a conductive stateimmediately after the start of mounting of the tablet storage case 4.However, it is also possible to structure so that with partialdisconnection of the conductive pattern 8 for example, a state from thestart of the mounting of the tablet storage case 4 to the middle of themounting and a state from the middle of the mounting to the end of themounting may be separately detected. Consequently, even if theidentification sensor 7 as disclosed in the aforementioned embodiment isadopted, it becomes possible to prevent such failure as erroneousdetection by the identification sensor 7 when the tablet storage case 4is not fully mounted on the case support table 3.

1. A tablet feeder in which tablets are delivered from a tablet storagecase mounted on a case support table, and when the tablets are passedthrough a delivery passage formed in the ease support table, quantity ofthe passed tablets is counted by a counting means, the tablet feedercomprising; case detection means for outputting a detection signal fromstart of mounting of the tablet storage case before end of mounting ofthe table storage case, so that the counting means is kept in an OFFstate until a start state of mounting of the tablet storage case isdetected by the case detection means and is set to an ON state after thedetection.
 2. The tablet feeder as defined in claim 1, wherein thetablet storage case is provided with an information display section fordisplaying information about tablets to be stored, and the case supporttable is provided with identification means for detecting theinformation display section, so that the identification means is kept inand OFF state until a start state of mounting of the tablet storage caseis detected by the case detection means and is set to an ON state afterdetection.
 3. The tablet feeder as defined in claim 1, wherein thecounting means is set to the ON state based on the detection signal fromthe case detection means after passing of noise influence time.
 4. Thetablet feeder as defined in claim 1, wherein the case detection means iscapable of separately detecting a state from a start of mounting of thetablet storage case on the case support table to a middle of themounting and a state from the middle of the mounting to an end of themounting.
 5. A tablet feeder comprising: at least one tablet storagecase for housing a supply of tablets, said storage case having indiciatat identifies the tablets housed in said storage case, and a metalplate; and at least one case support table having a tablet deliverypassage, said case support table having an identification sensor, atablet counting sensor provided on the delivery passage to permitcounting of a tablet passing therethrough, and a conductive pattern thatpermits detection of mounting and dismounting states of the storagecase, wherein the metal plate and the conductive pattern are located sothat they come into contact immediately after the start of a mountingoperation, and the counting sensor is immediately set to an ON stateupon contact of the metal plate with the conductive pattern so tat anytablet that is dropped from said tablet storage case during the mountingoperation can be detected by the counting sensor during mounting of thestorage ease on the case support table.
 6. The tablet feeder as claimedin claim 5, further comprising a pair of guide sections disposed side byside on an upper surface of said case support table, wherein theidentification sensor is provided on a surface of one of the guidesections and the conductive pattern is formed on a surface of the otherof the guide sections.
 7. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 6,further comprising a pair of guide reception sections disposed on abottom surface of said tablet storage case, the guide reception sectionsbeing guided by the guide sections during mounting of said tabletstorage case on said case support table; wherein the indicia is providedon a surface of one of the guide reception sections so as to bedetectable by the identification sensor, and the metal plate is providedon a surface of the other of the guide reception sections so as tocontact the conductive pattern immediately upon the start of mounting ofsaid tablet storage case on said case support table.
 8. A tablet feedercomprising: at least one tablet storage case for housing a supply oftablets, said storage case having indicia that identifies the tabletshoused in said storage case, and a metal plate; and at least one casesupport table having a tablet delivery passage, said case support tablehaving an identification sensor, a tablet counting sensor provided onthe delivery passage to permit counting of a tablet passingtherethrough, and a conductive pattern that permits detection ofmounting and dismounting states of the storage case, wherein the metalplate and the conductive pattern are located so that they come intocontact after the start of a mounting operation, and the counting sensoris set to an ON state upon contact of the metal plate with theconductive pattern and after the passing of a noise influence time sothat any tablet that is dropped during the mounting operation can bedetected by the counting sensor during mounting of said tablet storagecase on said case support table.
 9. The tablet feeder as claimed inclaim 8, further comprising a pair of guide sections disposed side byside on an upper surface of said case support table, wherein theidentification sensor is provided on a surface of one of the guidesections and the conductive pattern is formed on a surface of the otherof the guide sections.
 10. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 9,further comprising a pair of guide reception sections disposed on abottom surface of said tablet storage case, the guide reception sectionsbeing guided by the guide sections during mounting of said tabletstorage case on said vase support table, wherein the indicia is providedon a surface of one of the guide reception sections so as to bedetectable by the identification sensor, and the metal plate is providedon a surface of the other of the guide reception sections so as tocontact the conductive pattern immediately upon the start of mounting ofsaid tablet storage case on said case support table.